5 Things You Should Never Do When Travelling

Posted by Editor in Go and Explore on Oct 2nd, 2016 | 0 comments

 

Many travel writers always write about what to do, what to bring and must-see attractions on your travels. But what about the things you should not do? There are so many mistakes travellers make that often cause a lot of wasted money, time and opportunities. It’s easy to stick to the right things to do, but oftentimes we forget what should not be done when far away from home.

So here, we want to share to you some common travel mistakes that are easily avoidable to be able to travel smarter, cheaper and better.

1. Avoid Money Exchange At Airports

If you don’t, expect to get the worst exchange rates. Your best option is to use a credit or debit card. This will be as close as you can get to interbank rates and ensures that you won’t get scammed. If you’re really in need of cash, have your money exchanged at a bank in the downtown area—that’s where you’ll get better rates and lower transaction fees.

2. Do Not Rule Out Hostels

Most travellers think that hostels are unclean and smelly, with bedbug-ridden facilities. This is a common stereotype we often see in movies over the years. While hostels used to look and feel that way, nowadays, hostels offer a much better ambiance and facilities due to the tight competition in the industry. Even here in Singapore, many hostels offer complimentary meals, WiFi, laundry facilities, and many additional services for an affordable cost.

3. Avoid Displays of Affection in Public

If your destination is somewhere in Europe, there’s no need to worry about hugging and kissing in public. However, if you’re going somewhere in the Middle East or in other Asian countries, avoid public display of affection with your beau. Many conservative countries consider displays of affection as a public disturbance, and such acts may result in imprisonment.

4. Never Go Against Traditions and Culture

Every country has its own unique traditions and culture. When you’re in a foreign land, never do anything that’s against the local people’s practices. For example, always remove your footwear when entering a Buddhist temple or cover your shoulders when going inside a European church. The local people are strong believers of their religion, and every religion should be given the respect it deserves.

5. Never Leave Home Without a Back-Up Plan

Before leaving home, make sure you have plans in case thieves get away with your bag, money, or passport—or all of the above. Activate the roaming setting on your phone, even if you have no plans of making overseas calls. Keep electronic copies of your travel documents in your email or print out multiple copies and keep one in each of your bag.

Avoiding these travel mistakes will help make you a better and wiser traveller. If you put in more effort—other than just knowing the what-to-dos—you’ll save money and time, as well as save yourself from worries, allowing you to travel more in the future.

Things to Put in Your Newborn’s Crib

Posted by Editor in Caring for the Child on Sep 29th, 2016 | 0 comments

 

As a mother, there is nothing more important in this world than keeping the baby healthy and safe. For nine months, you carried him and now that he is out, you are even more protective of him. It is important to stay vigilant to make sure that he is well taken care of.

Before his coming, you probably secured his crib, pillows and toys. There are many selections of cribs here in Singapore but if you want to ensure his safety and comfort, you have to research. You have to determine which cribs work and which do not. The key here is to take it simply. Keeping it bare as much as possible can make a difference at the end of the day.

What do newborn babies only need? There are only two and you should not stray away from that.

Swaddling blankets

This is an old technique to soothe and calm babies. It envelops a baby which can help him sleep better. Swaddling blankets are helpful because it can prevent the baby from startling because of random movements. The good news is that swaddles are readily available. When choosing swaddling blankets, always consider the weather. Ideal blankets include breathable and lightweight cotton.

Now comes the washing of the blankets. Newborns have sensitive skin therefore careful washing should be considered. When washing the blankets, the first thing that you have to ensure is the laundry detergent and fabric conditioner. Make sure that they are dermatologically tested.

Comfortable mattress

Now that he is cosy and warm, it is time that you choose a comfortable mattress. Remember newborns can’t say whether they are comfortable or not, you will just know if they cry. It is crucial that you choose a comfortable mattress because he will spend most of his time sleeping. He will spend most of his time in the mattress and keeping it comfortable can help his growth and development.

When choosing a mattress, you have to make sure that it can support your baby’s weight. You have to look for thick mattress with puncture-resistant cover.  It should be secured with organic cotton. If you are worried about being too hard, you can maximize a washable and tight fitting mattress.

Remember that your newborn doesn’t need much and keeping it simple is the key. Let him sleep peacefully without the presence of irrelevant things like stuffed toys, pillows and crib bumpers. Let him have all these things when he is a little bit older. As of now, he just needs all the sleep that he can get.       

7 Common Audio-Visual Mistakes During Events

Posted by Editor in Event Details on Sep 8th, 2016 | 0 comments

As an event organizer, you should know the value of a good audio-visual set-up for events and gatherings. At some point, you have probably taken a lot of time and effort looking for an AV equipment rental, only to discover that some of the audio-visual presentations are not compatible with the equipment you have arranged—or worse, the projectors are not compatible with the laptops of the presenters. To avoid these embarrassing and time-wasting mistakes, we’ve compiled 10 of the most common errors made by event planners and solutions on how to avoid them.

1. Assuming In-House AV Covers Everything You Need

Some venues in Singapore provide basic AV equipment as part of their packages. This may suffice for smaller events, but for bigger ones, make sure to check what equipment the venue is providing.

Solution: Before signing the contract with your venue, compare features, services and costs with those from third-party sound system rental providers. In-house AV providers are indeed convenient, but are usually more costly. Third-party providers are usually more efficient and affordable, and are capable of providing custom services specific for your kind of affair.

2. Assuming that Power is Included in the Agreement

Some hotels in Singapore will charge an additional fee for using a power supply during your event. And keep in mind that “power” may mean different things for different venues. In some venues, it refers to a large power source where the venue facilitates your electricity consumption by leasing new power sources; while in other venues, “power” simply refers to your need to plug-in your equipment to existing power sources.

Solution: When reviewing the contract with your venue, ask whether power is included, how much power they can provide and what type of power they have. After confirming, let your AV equipment rental company know about it.

3. Not Checking the Number of Audio Inputs

For very large events, it’s easy to lose track of your audio needs. Keep in mind that sound mixer boards have limited number of audio inputs, so be sure to check yours to know whether it has enough for the needs of your event. You certainly wouldn’t want to end up searching for another sound board at the last minute just because you forgot one additional microphone source.

Solution: At least two weeks before the event, review and count the audio input from Singapore’s soundimage pro AV solutions that your event requires. Once you get a clear number of how many inputs you’ll have, find out whether your PA system rental company can provide a compatible sound mixer. And just in case, get an additional sound mixer board if there are too many audio inputs.

4. Overlooking Availability of Rigging Points

Rigging points refer to the venue-approved areas on the ceiling on which you can hang your equipment. Not considering this before signing an agreement may result to additional cost.

Solution: To avoid extra fees, establish first which equipment or part of your event needs to be hung from the ceiling, and decide how many points are needed for each item. Pay attention to heavier items and make sure they have ample support. Then, locate where these points are and plan how to place your items on them to avoid additional fees.

5. Skimping on the Projection Displays

A single-screen set-up won’t be enough for an event of more than 100 guests. If you don’t want your attendees to lose interest on the presentations, make sure to have sufficient equipment for display outputs.

Solution: Understand the size of your audience and the set-up of the event. If it’s a small-scale event, say one with no more than 50 guests, one standard-size screen may be enough. If your event includes more than 100 attendees, you will need two or more screens for all of your guests to receive the same visual experience. In addition, consider the demographic of the crowd. For example, if many of your guests are old and have vision problems, you may have to set-up several projection screens around the room.

6. Underestimating Set-Up and Tear-Down Time

Underestimating the set-up and tear-down time of your AV equipment can be costly. If you have rented the venue for a certain amount of time, without considering the time needed for set-up and restoration, you will have to pay for the extra hour(s) you will consume.

Solution: Be sure to book enough time at the venue prior to and after the event, so you won’t be surprised with unexpected costs. Be sure to factor in the travel time, unloading, organization and set-up of equipment. Similarly, consider the procedure of disassembling the set-up after the event. It’s not uncommon to need an extra day to assemble and disassemble an entire event.

7. Trying to Cut Costs

There is nothing wrong with saving a few dollars, but don’t settle for low-quality equipment that you are unsure of the performance. For example, getting cheap wireless microphones, so you will be able to have multiples of them. While it’s nice to have more microphones, its unreliable performance can be a nightmare on the day of the event.

Solution: The sound system is one of the costliest components of an event. Rather than cutting costs with your sound system, cut costs elsewhere, such as the decor, furniture and props.
Above all, the key to a bullet-proof event audio-visual is clear communication and organization. As long as you work to avoid these common mistakes, your event will be a step closer to perfection. Talk to a PA system rental provider to start planning for your event.

Cultivating a Decision-Making Method

Posted by Editor in Lifestyle Hacks on Aug 13th, 2016 | 0 comments

 

You have a good job that lets you pay everything and allows you buy things. That is an ideal job for many Singaporeans but why do you feel that there is something missing. You need to decide whether you will stay or not. However you are torn and what do you do when you are faced with this dilemma?

Not knowing what to do is frustrating. There are times that you are too tired to think of the best solution that you just cut the decision making process and hope that everything will eventually sort out. This will make things worse at the end of the day. It is time that you know some tips on making a good decision.

When you encounter a problem, you apply methods. It is not an exact science but it can help big time. There are decision making methods that you can consider if you are torn about something. Here are some methods that you need to know:

The Fast Forward Method

When you are torn, the best thing that you can do is to think of the future. Fast forward one year or two years later and whatever you see yourself in those years is your answer. If you are thinking about quitting your good job and pursue your passion, picture yourself a year or two years after.

If you follow passion, there should be no moment of doubt or hesitation. By espousing a future perspective, you let yourself be removed from present and the more you fast forward your life, it will get clearer as the days go by.

The Ideal Vision Method

Now this is another worthwhile perspective. You have to adopt a different frame of mind this time – the mind of someone who already achieved your ideals. This method is helpful since it can let you create your career’s ideal vision. But this method is discouraging you to tell some friends about it because it might divert your attention from realizing your dreams.

The Heart Method

The heart method speaks about listening to your intuition or gut. All you need is a moment’s silence and finally meditate on the things that you want and give up. If you meditate all the time, you can do so. You just need to listen to your heart and do whatever that makes you happy.

At the end of the day, you will realize that everything will depend on your state of mind. You have to remember that adage “what the mind conceives, the body will achieve”.

The Most Counterfeited Goods on the Market

Posted by Editor in Lifestyle Hacks on Aug 9th, 2016 | 0 comments

 

When you hear counterfeits, you just think of the fake money. It does not stop there. You should know that counterfeit is common even here in Singapore that is why the government is doing its best to eliminate it. Counterfeit refers to any item made in exact imitation of something important or valuable with the aim to defraud or deceive.

Many items are counterfeited these days. Knowing this, customers need to be careful. There is a wide variety of counterfeited goods in the market these days. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released a list of the most common counterfeited items in the world.  OECD based the list on the number of seizures by industry. Here is the list:

 

1. Footwear: The number one most counterfeited items in the world is footwear with 27,119 seizures.

 

2. Clothing: The next good is clothing specifically knitted ones with 17,995 seizures.

 

3. Leather: Leather is akin to high fashion and that includes shoes and bags. It is the third most counterfeited good with 17,960 seizures.

 

4. Electrical machinery: When you hear electrical machinery, it usually refers to generators (or other things that can convert electricity to mechanical power) with 15,907 seizures.

 

5. Watches: Another good that is counterfeited most of the time is watches with 6,927 seizures.

6. Medical instruments: Even medical instruments are counterfeited these days with 5,722 seizures. This is disturbing because it can create health complications at the end of the day.

 

7. Clothing: For non-knitted clothing, there were 5,601 seizures noted.

 

8. Perfumery and cosmetics: Now this is patronized by girls. Perfumes and cosmetics appeal to women than men. There were 4,857 seizures noted.

 

9. Toys: Toys are also a common counterfeit good with 3,499 seizures noted.

 

10. Pharmaceuticals: Just like the counterfeited medical instruments, knowing that there are many pharmaceuticals counterfeits make everything more disturbing. There were 2,444 seizures noted.

 

11. Jewellery: This is not a surprise since you can see jewelleries being sold online and at times in the streets. There were 2,415 seizures noted.

 

Knowing this, you have to be careful especially if it has something to do with consuming it. Actually there are more things being counterfeited these days and it is becoming widespread. If you want to make sure of the quality of the product that you will buy, you need to purchase it in authorized stores or sellers.

This is not so hard. Once it is sold in a shady place or online, you have to be more wary. Always look for the label and notice if it is fake or not. It can save your life at the end of the day.